Nick Oberthaler exhibits a group show for the Capital of Culture year '#000000 (Schwarz) – #FFD700 (Gold) – #228B22 (Waldgrün)' in Bad Ischl

For his exhibition #000000 (Schwarz) – #FFD700 (Gold) – #228B22 (Waldgrün) in Bad Ischl as part of the Capital of Culture year, Nick Oberthaler has conceived a new series of works that refer to the city's visual identity. Using the compositional methods of abstraction, he has created new paintings that interweave the modes of representation and design elements of flags with the process of painting. The artist's practice explores the function of abstract painting as a medium for visual and spatial experiences, referring to codes he borrows from visual theory, digital space and institutional contexts. 

Oberthaler simply refers to his works as 'drawings', although he uses a range of materials including paint, ink and collage fragments. Due to its delicate and unforgiving texture, paper remains his preferred medium: the fragile surface reveals every artistic trace and at times is even damaged by the artist's rough treatment. At the same time, this sensitivity of the paper's surface enables him to work in a nuanced, subtle way. He combines materials such as ink and wax, or pastels and watercolours – materials that do not blend – in a method that creates unexpected textures and tensions.

As part of this exhibition, Nick Oberthaler has invited three of his former students from Lyon to develop new works on site that refer to the geographical and thematic focal points as well as the contextual framework of the Capital of Culture in the region. Lise Lebleux works in the medium of acoustics mainly with field recordings and creates sound topologies of different spaces: each sound piece is the result and audiophonic recording of a specific and unique space with its present and given conditions. Clara Lemercier Gemptel, who places the construction of gender and identity as well as the relationship between architecture and the human body at the centre of her practice, has created a series of photographs that are dedicated to the theme of mining; they thus refer to an essential aspect of the identity of the Salzkammergut. Ugo Sébastião is a painter and deals with material aspects of the panel painting and its nature in relation to (art) historical meaning, analysing and questioning the different technological conditions of painting such as support, ground, frame and installation.